bebes



(No Model.)

0. G. BEERS. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR AMALGAMATING METALS. No. 244,028.

Patented July 12, 1881 ATTEST' INVENTUR! mow, w

N. PETERS Pholo'Lilhngl-lphar, Washingwn. D C.

UNITED STATES {PATENT FFICE.

CHARLES U. BEERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR AMALGAMATi NG METALS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 244,028, dated July 12, 1881.

Application filed June 14, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. BEERS, a citizen of theUnited States, residing in the city, county, and. State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of and Apparatus for Amalgamating Metals, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements relate to the extraction of gold and other metals from quartz and other foreign substances by amalgamation with mercury.

In my improved process I introduce the charge into the body of the mercury in the amalganiating-vessel at two or more points, from pipes which enter radially, and which eject the charge upward. I also treat the charge, after it has passed through the first amalgamating-vessel and had all its free gold or metal extracted, and before it enters the second amalgamating-vessel, with a solution of v potassium cyanide, to enable the mercury to combine with the remaining metal with greater freedom.

I am aware that potassium cyanide has been tried in amalgamating processes, but not in this manner. It renders the process too costly to treat the entire charge with the cyanide, and it is not needed in the first vessel where more than one vessel is used. The clean or free gold will combine readily without aid, but that which is contaminated with sulphides and sulphurets is much benefited by the cyanide treatment.

Heretofore in apparatus of this character more than one amalgamatin g-vessel have been employed, and various methods of forcing the charge or pulp into the amalgamating vessel or vessels have been adopted, such as pumps and steam-injectors. The charge has also been introduced into the body of the mercury in various ways. In some cases it has been introduced through one pipe at the side, in others from one pipe at the bottom opening upward, in others still a central or axial pipe has been employed with lateral outlets at the bottom. None of these, however, as I believe, fulfill the conditions of perfect distribution, although various forms of gauze and perforated diaphragms have been employed to break up the incoming current of pulp.

In carrying out my invention, I prefer to em-= ploy the apparatus which I will now describe with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation taken through the axes of the amalgamating-vessels, and Fig. 2 is a detached view showing a modified form of the nozzle for injecting the charge or pulp.

Let A represent a vessel for containing the fluid-charge or pulp bearing the metal to be extracted, and B a pump or other forcing apparatus by which the charge is injected into the amalgamating-vessel. These are simply indicated on the drawings, and on a small scale, on account of the limited space. Any kind of vessel, of any size, may be employed to contain the charge, and any good pump of sutficient capacity may be used.

0 is an amalgamating-vessel, which may be of any suitable size or form and of any suitable material. I prefer, however, to employ a cylindrical vessel of iron for this purpose. This vessel is, or should be,in the present construction, closed. at the top, and it is provided with a perforated dispersing diaphragm, D, and a bottom or base, E. This base, however, is only a convenience, and need not be considered as a separate element, as it might be simply a continuation of the vessel 0.

F F represent the pipes for leading the charge from the vessel A or the forcing apparatus to the amalgamating-vessel. The large main pipe depends to a point over the center of the said vessel, and from this branch two or more lesser pipes, which lead down the sides of the vessel and enter it near the bottom. The inner ends .or nozzles, 66 a, of these pipes are directed upward at points between the periphery and the axis of the vessel, so as to deliver the charge at several points in the mass of mercury. Where more than two inlet-pipes are employed, I arrange them, by preference, at points about equidistant around the vessel. The arrangement of the main pipe, as shown, enables me to make all ofthe branch-pipes of equal length, thereby equalizing the friction of the passing current.

The mercury stands in the vessel 0 at about the line 00, and when the liquid charge is in- 'j ected it rises to the top-of the mercury, its "entrance into the body of the mercury eft'ectually preventing any sediment from collecting. The impetus it receives from the pump will lot also greatly accelerate the speed of its passage. The charge thus introduced in jets or streams variously distributed is further dispersed in its passage through the diaphragm D, and all its parts are thus brought more effectually and thoroughly into contact with the mercury. I may, however, dispense with the said diaphragm, or substitute for it a nozzle or nozzles for the pipe or pipes F, similar to that shown in Fig. 2. This nozzle is made up of a series of short radiating pipes or tubes, 9 g, which deliver the charge into the mass of mercury in fine jets, and preferably in an upward direction.

Some particles of metal may, in passing through the vessel 0, escape amalgamation from lack of proper contact from various causes, and to insure their being taken up I provide a second amalgamating-vessel, O, constructed like that just described. This vessel I connect with the first by means of a pipe or pipes, F, which connect the vessel G near its top and above the line 00 with the mass of mercury in the vessel 0, so that the charge, after passing through the mercury in the first, may be caused to pass through that in the second vessel, as indicated. After it has passed through the mercury in the vessel 0 it passes through a pipe, G, into a vessel or tank, H, which I call a concentrator. This concentrator, which is not, in itself, new with me, receives such particles of gold as will not amalgamate-as, for example, rusty gold and such particles of mercury as will have passed overand these will settle to the bottom of the concentrator, from which they may be removed from time to time. The operation is continued until the mercury in the vessel or vessels becomes too thick from its combination with other metals to permit of carrying the process further, when the amalgam is drawn off at the valve or opening 0 at the bottom and a fresh charge of mercury inserted at d.

The charge in the vessel A is preferably mixed only with water, and in this condition it passes through the vessel 0 but I provide another vessel, I, containing a solution of potassium cyanide, and lead a pipe from this vessel to the pipe F, whereby I am enabled to add this solution in regulated quantities to the charge as it passes to the vessel 0. This quickens and enlivens the mercury in the said vessel and enables it to act with more vigor on the particles of metal in the charge. I employ this treatment in the vessel 0 only for the sake of economy. It is not so necessary in the first amalgamating-vessel, as in this vessel all the free gold will be combined with the mercury without difficulty, and I aim to employ the cyanide treatment only on the charge containing metals that have for various reasons escaped amalgamation under ordinary treatment. My method, therefore, relates to this form of treatment by means of the cyanide, and not to the employment of the said salt generally in amalgamation.

To further accelerate the movement of the charge through the vessel 0, I may arrange a suction-pump between the said vessel and the concentrator H, connecting it with the pipe G 3 and I may employ two or more amalgamatingvessels arranged in a continuous systen', as has been done; but I believe two will be enough to remove all of the metals capable of being amalgamated, especially when the cyanide salt is employed in the second vessel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. The amalgamatin g process herein described, which consists in first passing the metal-bearing charge through a body of mercury, then treating it with a solution of potassium cyanide, and then passing it, so treated, through another fresh body of mercury, sub stantially as set forth.

2. The combination, to form an amalgamating apparatus, of the elevated vessel containing the charge, the main pipe for the charge arranged to depend overthe center of the amalgamating-vessel, the said amalgamating-vessel having an overflow-outlet at the top, the branch pipes from the main pipe arranged to pass down at the sides of the amalgamating-vessel and to enter it radially, the said amalgamatingvessel and the several upturned nozzles of the branch pipes arranged to deliver the charge upward into the mass of mercury at points between the periphery and the axis of the amalgamating-vessel, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, to form an amalgamating apparatus, of the elevated vessel for the charge, means for forcing the charge or pulp into the mass of mercury in the amalgamatingvessel, the said amalgamating-vessel, the pendent pipe from the vessel containing the charge with itsbrauches, the latter arranged to pass down at the sides of the amalgamating-vessel and to pass through it into the mercury, the several upturned nozzles on said branch pipes arranged undera perforated diaphragm in the amalgamating-vessel and the said diaphragm, all arranged substantially as herein set forth.

4. The combination, to form an amalgamating apparatus, of the vessel containing the charge or pulp, the pipes for leading the charge to the first amalgamating-vessel, the two amalgamating-vesselsandthepipeconnectingthem, the vessel for containing the potassium-cyanide solution, and the pipe connecting said vessel with the pipe which leads the charge from the first to the second amalgamating-vessel, all arranged substantially as herein set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES C. BEERS.

Witnesses:

HENRY UONNETT, ARTHUR G. FRAsER.

IIO 

